Packers HC Matt LaFleur said WR Sammy Watkins is ready to come off the NFI list and return to practice. He missed the first few days of camp with an undisclosed injury, allowing rookie WR Romeo Doubs to shine. But this WR corps remains wide open with over a month to go until the season opener.
Giants beat writer Paul Schwartz writes that RB Saquon Barkley could lead the team in catches. As Schwartz put it, “there are times when it almost seems as if there is a need to tone down how much Barkley is finding the ball in his hands.” New HC Brian Daboll is using this time to narrow down how the contract-year RB will be used. “You see him,’’ Daboll said. “I mean, you saw him coming out of Penn State. You see him running around here. He’s a pretty skilled player. So, our job is to figure out ways to use him, whether he did it last year or the year before, two years, in college.’’ We remain firmly behind Barkley as a Round 2 fantasy selection.
Josh Kendall of The Athletic says the "Falcons seem to have [Marcus] Mariota firmly penciled into that starting role now." He adds that he expects to see rookie QB Desmond Ridder get a shot before the end of the season. "Firmly penciled in" seems like deliberate language in that it points to Mariota being the heavy favorite at the moment -- but also that Ridder could change things if he simply outperforms the vet. We'll keep watching the competition, though the fantasy impact is minimal given what should be 1 of the league's worst offenses.
Mike Spofford of the team website wrote Friday morning that Packers WR Romeo Doubs "followed up a solid opening workout with a stellar second one." He added that the 4th-round rookie "first caught the defense's attention during OTAs in June with the frequency of his catches and reliability of his hands." HC Matt LaFleur also praised Doubs' work ethic ahead of Friday's workouts. "He's established a routine pretty early," the coach said. He pointed out that rookies often struggle to do so and that finding such a routine can be their key to "taking off." The Doubs buzz is particularly noteworthy because of the seemingly open competition for roles and targets in the post-Davante Adams Green Bay offense. Doubs makes for an intriguing late stash across fantasy football draft formats.
Eagles RB Miles Sanders has taken reps with the 2nd-team offense at training camp, per reporter Brandon Lee Gowton. He hasn’t been exclusively with the 2s in camp, and we’re not going to rush to any conclusions here. Still, it’s something to monitor, especially with Philly rostering an exciting 2nd-year RB in Kenneth Gainwell.
"My guess after being around this team a little is that Rhamondre Stevenson probably will get the bulk of the carries," NBC Sports' Peter King said after attending Patriots training camp. It's a tepid prediction -- and King reminded us that "you're not gonna have any Patriots RB run it 300 times. That's just not the way Bill Belichick wants to use his personnel in the backfield." But it's still noteworthy considering RB Damien Harris is going a round or 2 ahead of Stevenson in fantasy drafts. We'll be keeping a close eye on this backfield in the preseason.
Raiders RB Kenyan Drake is set to play a "significant role in the rotation as a runner and a receiver" in HC Josh McDaniels' offense, according to The Athletic's Tashan Reed. Drake averaged just 4.1 carries and 2.9 targets in 8 games alongside a healthy Josh Jacobs last year, but it sounds like his role could be bigger in 2022. Drake still isn't an exciting fantasy option, but this news makes Jacobs less attractive. Reed told us on a recent podcast that he expects a Patriots-like committee backfield in Vegas.
Ravens TE Charlie Kolar will undergo sports-hernia surgery early next week, HC John Harbaugh said. That figures to threaten the rookie's availability for the start of the season. Kolar, of course, is unlikely to be a 2022 fantasy asset. He's just a dynasty stash.
Commanders DE Chase Young remains on the PUP list, and HC Ron Rivera doesn't make it sound like he expects the player back soon. “He’s been working hard,” Rivera said Tuesday, according to Ben Standig of The Athletic. “His rehab’s been going well from what we’ve seen and what we understand. But you never really know until you get to get your hands back on him. But Chase Young is probably the one that’s going to take the most time. It was serious, obviously, and any time you’re talking about an ACL, it’s just down the line. We’ll have to wait and see on that one.” In addition to tearing his right ACL, Young also damaged the patella in that knee. Young is expected to take longer to return than teammate TE Logan Thomas, who suffered his ACL tear in December. "Different type of injury," Rivera said, in comparing the 2. Young will make for a high-risk IDP selection at least until he's back on the field. At this point, he's far from a lock to be ready for the regular-season opener. We have moved him further down our 2022 IDP rankings.
Commanders HC Ron Rivera indicated Wednesday that he likes the way rookie RB Brian Robinson runs both inside and outside. "He's a big, strong, powerful downhill runner, more so than anything else," Rivera said, per Ben Standig of The Athletic. "He does have a little bit of shake to him. ... Antonio [Gibson] is a little more elusive guy more off the edge, where with Brian, we can take it inside, or we can take it off the edge." Standig had previously pondered whether Washington would lean on Robinson as the primary goal-line back. It sure seems like Rivera envisions such a role for the rookie. The way the coach talks about him as an all-around runner, while referring to Gibson as more specifically an outside guy, makes us wonder if even more work than previously anticipated might be going to the new guy. Gibson is currently working back from a June hamstring injury, which can only help Robinson's climb. The 3rd-round pick carries plenty of upside late in current fantasy football drafts.
Raiders RB Zamir White has missed the start of training camp with an undisclosed injury. The rookie shouldn’t be out for long, though. Citing a source, Tashan Reed of The Athletic wrote today that White is expected to practice “within the next week.” We’ll keep tabs on his progress upon returning.
Cowboys WR Michael Gallup (knee) admitted that he won't be ready to play Week 1, calling it "not a reasonable possibility.” It's a rare honest injury assessment from a player -- but it's not a surprise. Gallup didn't undergo surgery on his ACL until early February, so the typical 9-month recovery timeline would have him back in early November. We'll see if he can beat that timeline, but we're expecting Gallup to open the season on reserve PUP and miss at least the first 4 games.
Colts HC Frank Reich discussed the offense’s up-tempo style at training camp. “It’s unbelievable,” Reich said of new QB Matt Ryan pushing the pace. “We’ve never practiced like this. It’s a mentality, a confidence. It’s ‘we got to keep up and play.’ We are dictating tempo from the huddle to the ball and we are going. (Ryan) told me at the start, ‘I’m going to push the tempo. I said, ‘We will follow your lead.’” Indy ranked 21st in plays per game last year, so perhaps we see a bump up in 2022. While we’re not targeting Ryan in fantasy drafts, we do like his presence for 3rd-year WR Michael Pittman.
The Seahawks and WR D.K. Metcalf agreed to a 3-year extension worth $72 million, with $52.8 million of that guaranteed, according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo. It ends the brief hold-in for the 24-year-old wideout and puts him under contract through 2025.
Broncos HC Nathaniel Hackett complimented WR Jerry Jeudy for his work early in training camp. “I love the way he’s attacked this training camp up to this point,” the new HC said. “I know it’s early, but he’s been really great, seeing him around working hard and everything. He’s a very focused person and asks great questions, coaches me, calls me out a couple times, which is awesome. He’s definitely capable of doing a lot of different things.” The Broncos aren’t yet in pads, but it’s a positive development following Jeudy’s offseason groin injury. He remains a WR2.
WR DeVante Parker “looks like the Patriots #1 WR” through 2 days of training camp, per beat writer Mark Daniels. It’s obviously early, and players won’t be in pads until Monday. But the early word has been all positive on Parker, who’s performed “on a different level,” per Daniels. The 29-year-old is currently coming cheaply in FFPC best balls with an ADP of WR65.
The Cowboys used RB Tony Pollard in a multitude of ways on the 1st day of training camp and are "committed to making Pollard a viable weapon in the offense," insider Clarence Hill writes. "Pollard opened 11-on-11 drills with the first-team offense as slot receiver. He ended practice as the primary third-down back in the 2-minute drill with [Ezekiel] Elliott on the sidelines." Hill adds that he expects Dallas to use Elliott and Pollard on the field together this season. We hear that a lot this time of year, but it certainly makes sense in this situation considering how good Pollard is and the fact that the Cowboys lost WR Amari Cooper and will likely be without WR Michael Gallup early on. We know Pollard is at least an elite fantasy handcuff, but he's also capable of providing standalone value this season.
Reports on Saints WR Michael Thomas' return to practice have been positive so far. "He looked fluid and had no noticeable braces or wrapping around the left ankle that was originally injured in Week 1 of the 2020 season," ESPN's Mike Triplett wrote. "He doesn’t look like he’s at all favoring his ankle ... Looked smooth," The New Orleans Advocate's Luke Johnson added. Thomas isn't participating in full team drills and admitted that he's not yet back to 100%. But he's clearly making good progress. We'll continue to keep a close eye on him and his ADP.
Falcons QB Marcus Mariota has been working with the 1st team in the first few days of training camp, per The Athletic's Josh Kendall. Rookie QB Desmond Ridders has been with the 2s. "Obviously, we’ve got a plan for each of them. Marcus is the starter,” QBs coach Charles London said. “I expect those guys to compete. Right now, Marcus is the starter, and he’s doing a great job.” Consider Mariota a comfy favorite to open the season as Atlanta's starter -- but there's still a good chance we see Ridder at some point.
Titans WR Robert Woods avoided the PUP list to open training camp. He's about 8-and-a-half months removed from tearing his ACL and isn't even wearing a brace on the surgically repaired knee. It looks like Woods will be close to 100% by the time Week 1 rolls around.
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